Dell XPS 8700 Hard wired network connection issue (Paint me FRUSTRATED)

First off, this will be long as I try to describe this issue.

I have two of these systems here at home, the first one we purchased late last fall and the second one just within the last couple weeks. As far as I can tell, they are the same hardware wise, both running windows 7-64 bit.

The first system was setup and configured the way my wife needs it cause she does some work using the machine. While I was setting the computer up it was able to connect to my home wireless network with ease which has the name "secretplace". While setting up the machine I disabled the wireless adapter because we want the computer hard wired to my home network. I noticed that when it would connect to the wired network, it would use the same name as the wireless even though the wireless adapter was disabled, the name comes up as secretplace which really is wrong in so many ways, and in order to get it to connect we have to go to network connections, adapter settings and disable the adapter, then re-enable the adaptor, it will then connect. When it boots up it shows the network trying to identify the network and then the tray icon contains the little ! in the triangle thing. When we get it to connect, the connection name is secretplace. The other machine is also on the same network and connects fine, the network name it comes up with is network 2. BTW, the second machine has NOT ever had the wireless enabled, thus it has never seen the secretplace name. I cannot find where or how the adapter is coming up with network names and why would the wired adapter use the name it had from the wireless hookup it did at one time.

We are frustrated with this issue, my wife loves the computer other than this not connecting thing. The new computer is using the same network connection that her other computer, an xp machine used without issues. 

Help - I've tried everything, updated the driver on the Realtec NIC and all without success.

Gene